Surfboard carrying bag with protective lining

ABSTRACT

A carrying bag for a surfboard or a similar board alike is provided. The carrying bag is assembled by three pieces: a folded center piece for the protection of the middle section of a surfboard, and two end pieces that are of a nearly triangular shape to protect the two ends of the surfboard. On the inner side of the three pieces, there is a lining fully dispersed with bulging, buffering pads or ribs. Hook and loop fasteners are used to attach the linings and join the three pieces together for fast assembly and disassembly. A shoulder strap could be attached to or detached from the center piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to carrying bags, and more specifically to a bag with protective lining for carrying a surfboard.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Surfing is a rather personalized aquatic sport in that the surfboard to every surfer is an identity to his or her taste and preference. Surfers constantly travel with their precious surfboards to catch the waves. During the transportation, a surfboard might be carried on a surfer's shoulder, fastened to a car roof, or buried in a cargo bay, and therefore might be scratched, damaged, or deformed. A conventional carrying bag for a surfboard is usually made of artificial fiber sewed into a body having the shape of the surfboard, and there is usually a strap for shouldering the bag. One constant complaint from the surfers is that the bag's one or two layers of artificial fiber couldn't provide an adequate protection to their precious surfboard inside during its transportation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a carrying bag for a surfboard that has a lining dispersed with bulging, buffering pads or ribs to prevent the surfboard from damage during transportation.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a carrying bag for a surfboard that is composed of three pieces joined together by hook and loop fasteners so that the surfboard could be put into or taken out of the carrying bag quickly and easily.

The surfboard carrying bag according to the present invention is designed for fast packing and unpacking of the surfboard, easier shouldering and transportation, and superior protection. Accordingly, the carrying bag of the present invention is assembled by three pieces: a folded center piece for the protection of the middle section of a surfboard, and two end pieces that are of a nearly triangular shape to protect the two ends of the surfboard. There is also a shoulder strap detachable from the center piece. The carrying bag of the present invention is characterized in that the center and end pieces are made of water-proof laminated material with hook and loop fasteners arranged at their rims. When the ends of the surfboard are covered by the end pieces, they are joined with the center pieces with their hook and loop fasteners to completely cover the surfboard inside.

On the inner side of the three pieces, there is a lining fully dispersed with bulging, buffering pads or ribs. The linings could be easily detached from the three pieces.

At an upper rim of the center piece, there are hook rings to which the shoulder strap could be attached for shouldering the surfboard. Due to the protection offered by the buffering pads or ribs, the carrying bag could be buried under piles of luggage without damaging the surfboard inside.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective explosion view showing the assembly of a carrying bag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outlook of a carrying bag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a carrying bag along the A-A line of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a carrying bag along the B-B line of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a carrying bag A for a surfboard B according to an embodiment of the present invention is composed of three pieces made of water-proof soft laminated material or cloth. A center piece 10 is folded around and protects the middle section of the surfboard B. The end pieces 20 have a nearly triangular shape for the protection of the two ends of the surfboard B. The three pieces 10 and 20 could fully wrap the surfboard B inside. With the detachable shoulder strap 30 installed, the surfboard B could be shouldered and carried. By the coverage of the pieces 10 and 20, and the buffering pads or ribs dispersed on the linings 11 and 21, the surfboard B is well protected even buried under piles of luggage.

The major characteristics of the present embodiment are as follows.

The center piece 10 is of a rectangular shape. The inner side of the center piece 10 (the side that touches the surfboard B when the center piece 10 is folded around the surfboard B) has hook and loop fasteners 102. A center lining 11 whose dimension is somewhat smaller than that of the center piece 10 has hook and loop fasteners 112 at corresponding locations on a side of the center lining 11. The center lining 11 therefore could be adhered to or detached from the inner side of the center piece 10 easily and quickly. Also on the inner side of the center piece 10, a number of snap buttons 103 are arranged along the rims of the two ends (referred to as closing rims and closing ends hereinafter) that would meet each other when the center piece 10 is folded. The snap buttons 103 allow the center piece 10 to be folded and open quickly and easily. Along the closing rims and at corresponding locations, there are hook rings 104 for attaching the shoulder strap 30. On the other side of the center lining 11, there are an array of buffering pads 111 or buffering ribs. The center lining 11 with the buffering pads 111 are made by two thin layers of air-tight plastic material molded together to form air-filled bubble-shape devices. On the outer side of the center piece 10, there are hook and look fasteners 101 arranged along the rims of the two sides other than the closing ends of the center piece 10. These hook and loop fasteners 101 are for joining the end pieces 20.

The end pieces 20 are pockets having a nearly triangular shape. Outside the pockets and along the rims at the pocket opening, there are hook and loop fasteners 201. The inner sides of the end pieces 20 have hook and loop fasteners 202 for attaching hook and loop fasteners 212 at corresponding locations on a side of end linings 21 whose dimensions are somewhat smaller than those of the end pieces 20. The end linings 21 therefore could be adhered to or detached from the inner sides of the end pieces 20 easily and quickly. On the other side of the end linings 21, there are an array of buffering pads 211 or buffering ribs. The end lining 21 with the buffering pads 211 are made by two thin layers of air-tight plastic material molded together to form air-filled bubble-shape devices.

As illustrate in FIG. 3, the end pieces 20 are slid over the two ends of the surfboard B. By locking the hook and loop fasteners 201 to the hook and loop fasteners 101, the center piece 10 and the end pieces 20 are joined together to cover the entire surfboard B. The buffering pads 211 of the end linings 21 work as cushions to absorb external impact and pressure so that the surfboard B remains intact.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the center piece 10 is folded to wrap around the middle section of the surfboard B and the two closing rims are fastened together by the snap buttons 103. The buffering pads 111 of the center linings 11 work as cushions to absorb external impact and pressure so that the surfboard B remains intact.

When a should strap 30 has its two end hooks 301 locked to the hook rings 104 on the center piece 10, the surfboard B could be shouldered and carried by the shoulder strap 30, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The surfboard B is packaged in the carrying bag A as follows. First, the two end pieces 20 are slid over the two ends of the surfboard B. Then, the center piece 10 is wrapped around the middle section of the surfboard B with its two closing rims fastened together by the snap buttons 103. The two end pieces 20 are attached to the center piece 10 by locking the hook and loop fasteners 201 and 101 together. After attaching the shoulder strap 30, the assembly of the carrying bag A is completed.

During the transportation of the surfboard B, due to the protection provided by the center and end linings 11 and 21, the surfboard B would remain intact even when it is buried under piles of luggage or undergoes a direct hit as the buffering pads 111 and 211 would absorb most of the impact.

As the carrying bag A is assembled by the three pieces 10 and 20 and joined together via hook and loop fasteners, the surfboard B could be packaged in and taken out the carrying bag A very easily and quickly.

Since water-proof material is used and the three pieces 10 and 20 are easy to disassemble for cleaning and drying, no odor would be developed from water deposit.

The present invention, besides for carrying a surfboard, could also be applied to carry similar devices such as a skimboard, windsurfing board, kiteboard, bodyboard, wakeboard, snowboard, etc.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. A surfboard carrying bag with protective lining comprising: a center piece folded to wrap around a middle section of a surfboard; and two end pieces being nearly triangular pockets slid over the two ends of said surfboard; wherein a lining with buffering devices is attached to the inner side of said center and end pieces respectively, and a detachable shoulder strap is attached to said carrying bag for shouldering and carrying said surfboard.
 2. The surfboard carrying bag with protective lining according to claim 1, wherein said lining with buffering devices is made by two thin layers of air-tight plastic material molded together to form an array of air-filled devices.
 3. The surfboard carrying bag with protective lining according to claim 1, wherein hook and loop fasteners are used to attach said linings to the inner side of said center and end pieces, and to join said center and end pieces together.
 4. The surfboard carrying bag with protective lining according to claim 1, wherein said center piece has hook rings on an upper end of said center piece when it is folded for attaching hooks at said shoulder strap's two ends. 